Electronic Models, PDFs, and the DDI

[Aldarc]

I have been thinking about a number of related issues in regards to electronic models and services for 5E and D&D past and present. Ryan Dancey's articles, from what I recall, talked about how TSR was taking losses from a number of the "box sets" due to production costs of print, etc. But then there is the issue of PDF piracy and the rise of tablet products, such as the iPad and Kindle, which make hauling and storing books more convenient. There is no easy solutions, but I would like to propose a possibility, feasible or not, for a model that Wizards of the Coast should explore for D&D: Bible Software. Say what? Let me explain. But just to be clear, I am not trying to sell you these products, but I am presenting these products as models that WotC could emulate.

Biblical scholarship is much like D&D. There are a lot of books, tools, and reference materials that are required for purposes that also make life easier. For Old Testament scholarship, for example, you may need a copy of the entire Hebrew text, the Septuagint (multiple versions), several Hebrew and Aramaic lexicons, and a translation or two (for quick reference). Then when you include the New Testament Greek text, Koine Greek lexicons, and translations, etc. It becomes cumbersome to carry all these materials around. But software has been around for academic Biblical scholarship (and ministers) that allows for all of these materials in software packages: e.g., Bible Works, Logos, Accordance. How these products generally work is that you download the software, but you can buy the product in a series of introductory modular packages for a variety of prices.

Let's take Accordance as an example, as that is what I use. There are the "Library Collections" that act as the "basic" and "novice" packages, which are aimed primarily at those interested in the English. But there are also the "Scholar Collections" that act as the "advanced" and "academic" packages, which are aimed primarily at those interested in engaging the Greek and Hebrew. Each of these levels may be further broken down into the initial product to buy: introductory, standard, premier. Each of these have more stuff in the initial package. But they are also customizable. So for example, the Scholar's Introductory package:

The Scholar’s 9 Introductory Level offers a basic Greek and Hebrew study package at an affordable price. Perfect for the seminary student on a limited budget, the Scholar's Intro includes the Greek New Testament (NA27) and Hebrew Bible (BHS) with full grammatical tagging, Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, the King James with Strong's numbers, your choice of an additional modern English Bible, and a basic package of study aids. That's the equivalent of $585 worth of print resources for just $149.

Compare that with the Scholar's Standard package:

The Scholar’s 9 Standard Level offers a solid starting point for in depth original language studies. In addition to all the resources in the Scholar's Introductory level, the Scholar's Standard adds three more tagged Greek New Testaments (Textus Receptus, Westcott-Hort, and Tischendorf), Louw & Nida and UBS Greek lexicons, the Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (TWOT), classic Greek grammars and a guide to BHS, plus your choice of two modern English Bibles. That's the equivalent of $1070 worth of print resources for just $249.

But within both of these bundles, you the customer has the option of what other materials (within limits) are part of the initial package. But once you buy and download the software, it does stop there, as you can purchase and permanently unlock other materials that are not included in your initial package you buy.

Many of these Bible software programs also include tools that are invaluable for Biblical scholarship, such as an accordance, parallels texts, maps, etc. Several of these Bible software products (i.e. Logos, Accordance) can also be used on iPads as well. And whatever packages you have unlocked on your computer, you have access to on your iPad.

I hope you can now begin to see where I am going with this. WotC could potentially cut down costs on the production of books by providing a similar model in which their products could be unlocked and downloaded into an integrated software platform. You could buy packages (i.e. box sets) that were either Basic or Expert. Many of the modular rulesets emphasized in 5E blurbs could now be sold as these unlocked materials. You could buy and download products from past editions. And all the books you buy would be integrated into a single software product. The reference materials would not be PDFs that could be easily pirated, but built into the software itself, which could further be usable on an iPad or tablet. You would simply go to the WotC site, purchase the materials directly, and then download immediately for your use. This D&D Software could then include additional services such as an integrated search and cross reference function for rules, the ability to compare modular rule options side-by-side in parallel, map and dungeon creation tools, NPC/monster/character generation tools, etc. Furthermore, errata updates could be instantaneous with regular software updates. The software could provide tools for DMs to organize their campaigns into separate folders, as well as campaign notes. WotC could still easily integrate the DDI with this software, such that the DDI provides new options, articles, and other perks.

 

[DonTadow]

I have been thinking about a number of related issues in regards to electronic models and services for 5E and D&D past and present. Ryan Dancey's articles, from what I recall, talked about how TSR was taking losses from a number of the "box sets" due to production costs of print, etc. But then there is the issue of PDF piracy and the rise of tablet products, such as the iPad and Kindle, which make hauling and storing books more convenient. There is no easy solutions, but I would like to propose a possibility, feasible or not, for a model that Wizards of the Coast should explore for D&D: Bible Software. Say what? Let me explain. But just to be clear, I am not trying to sell you these products, but I am presenting these products as models that WotC could emulate.

Biblical scholarship is much like D&D. There are a lot of books, tools, and reference materials that are required for purposes that also make life easier. For Old Testament scholarship, for example, you may need a copy of the entire Hebrew text, the Septuagint (multiple versions), several Hebrew and Aramaic lexicons, and a translation or two (for quick reference). Then when you include the New Testament Greek text, Koine Greek lexicons, and translations, etc. It becomes cumbersome to carry all these materials around. But software has been around for academic Biblical scholarship (and ministers) that allows for all of these materials in software packages: e.g., Bible Works, Logos, Accordance. How these products generally work is that you download the software, but you can buy the product in a series of introductory modular packages for a variety of prices.

Let's take Accordance as an example, as that is what I use. There are the "Library Collections" that act as the "basic" and "novice" packages, which are aimed primarily at those interested in the English. But there are also the "Scholar Collections" that act as the "advanced" and "academic" packages, which are aimed primarily at those interested in engaging the Greek and Hebrew. Each of these levels may be further broken down into the initial product to buy: introductory, standard, premier. Each of these have more stuff in the initial package. But they are also customizable. So for example, the Scholar's Introductory package:
Compare that with the Scholar's Standard package:
But within both of these bundles, you the customer has the option of what other materials (within limits) are part of the initial package. But once you buy and download the software, it does stop there, as you can purchase and permanently unlock other materials that are not included in your initial package you buy.

Many of these Bible software programs also include tools that are invaluable for Biblical scholarship, such as an accordance, parallels texts, maps, etc. Several of these Bible software products (i.e. Logos, Accordance) can also be used on iPads as well. And whatever packages you have unlocked on your computer, you have access to on your iPad.

I hope you can now begin to see where I am going with this. WotC could potentially cut down costs on the production of books by providing a similar model in which their products could be unlocked and downloaded into an integrated software platform. You could buy packages (i.e. box sets) that were either Basic or Expert. Many of the modular rulesets emphasized in 5E blurbs could now be sold as these unlocked materials. You could buy and download products from past editions. And all the books you buy would be integrated into a single software product. The reference materials would not be PDFs that could be easily pirated, but built into the software itself, which could further be usable on an iPad or tablet. You would simply go to the WotC site, purchase the materials directly, and then download immediately for your use. This D&D Software could then include additional services such as an integrated search and cross reference function for rules, the ability to compare modular rule options side-by-side in parallel, map and dungeon creation tools, NPC/monster/character generation tools, etc. Furthermore, errata updates could be instantaneous with regular software updates. The software could provide tools for DMs to organize their campaigns into separate folders, as well as campaign notes. WotC could still easily integrate the DDI with this software, such that the DDI provides new options, articles, and other perks.

I agree, lol, but let me use a more secular example. WE have a product at my company called Mindtap, and it is exactly as you described. An amazing piece of software. The technology is out there, and you can do a ton of stuff with it.

 

[Aldarc]

I agree, lol, but let me use a more secular example. WE have a product at my company called Mindtap, and it is exactly as you described. An amazing piece of software. The technology is out there, and you can do a ton of stuff with it.

As a secularist, I can assure you that Biblical scholarship software is a secular example. The "religious aspect" of the major manufacturers of academic Bible software (i.e. Bible Works, Logos, Accordance) is exceptionally negligible to the point of being non-existent. Practically everything is geared towards academic lexigraphical tools.

But I am glad that you are on-board with this idea. This sort of software product seems fit IMHO with what we know of 5E's design philosophy and WotC's desired sales model for the electronic integration.

 

[Alan Shutko]

That's an interesting software model, but there are some benefits to the user of a less locked-down delivery model.

The first is the widespread usability of the content. Biblical scholarship is a fairly large niche, and there are many companies that you can go to for tools. Older translations are in the public domain, newer translations can be obtained from multiple publishers who have licensed them. That means that you can be fairly certain that you can find a software package for the platform and needs you have.

D&D isn't nearly as big. I don't think WotC has the resources to produce a tool for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. That means that a lot of people will want to consume their media on their device of choice but will be unable to. PDFs or DRM-free ePubs can be used on anything, and WotC doesn't need to do any work to make that happen.

Even if the official tool is available on your platform, what if it doesn't work the way that you want it to? Me, I like to manage my campaign with DEVONthink. It lets me store all my PDFs in it and makes them searchable, uses AI to help suggest related items, and lets me store my notes in a wiki form. That works really well for me, and it's a tool that has been written over many years. Will WotC be able to match it? And will they make it work as well for 3rd party documents? Probably not: that's a lot more work.

The second reason I like more open formats is reusability. I have so many more ways to repurpose content in PDF form than if it were locked in an application. Just in the last campaign, I've:

• Pulled NPC images out of the adventure PDF and recomposed them on a handout so that the players could see who they're talking to
• Pulled the image of the map out so I could roughly trace it to create a treasure map
• Copied text from different parts of the adventure so I could create a cheat sheet to help run daily events
• Blown up an encounter map and removed numbers and such to create an ad-hoc battle map

None of these are pirating the work, they're all easily fair use, but they probably wouldn't be possible if the content were locked within a custom-built application. Even if WotC weren't trying to prevent me from doing such things, it's unlikely they'd spend the development time to enable them.

 

[DonTadow]

That's an interesting software model, but there are some benefits to the user of a less locked-down delivery model.

The first is the widespread usability of the content. Biblical scholarship is a fairly large niche, and there are many companies that you can go to for tools. Older translations are in the public domain, newer translations can be obtained from multiple publishers who have licensed them. That means that you can be fairly certain that you can find a software package for the platform and needs you have.

D&D isn't nearly as big. I don't think WotC has the resources to produce a tool for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. That means that a lot of people will want to consume their media on their device of choice but will be unable to. PDFs or DRM-free ePubs can be used on anything, and WotC doesn't need to do any work to make that happen.

Even if the official tool is available on your platform, what if it doesn't work the way that you want it to? Me, I like to manage my campaign with DEVONthink. It lets me store all my PDFs in it and makes them searchable, uses AI to help suggest related items, and lets me store my notes in a wiki form. That works really well for me, and it's a tool that has been written over many years. Will WotC be able to match it? And will they make it work as well for 3rd party documents? Probably not: that's a lot more work.

The second reason I like more open formats is reusability. I have so many more ways to repurpose content in PDF form than if it were locked in an application. Just in the last campaign, I've:

• Pulled NPC images out of the adventure PDF and recomposed them on a handout so that the players could see who they're talking to
• Pulled the image of the map out so I could roughly trace it to create a treasure map
• Copied text from different parts of the adventure so I could create a cheat sheet to help run daily events
• Blown up an encounter map and removed numbers and such to create an ad-hoc battle map

None of these are pirating the work, they're all easily fair use, but they probably wouldn't be possible if the content were locked within a custom-built application. Even if WotC weren't trying to prevent me from doing such things, it's unlikely they'd spend the development time to enable them.

Sorry, didn't mean anything by the secular comment.

At Cengage, where I work, we sell textbooks a billion ways. We sell pdfs, hard covers, but the elite is the Mindtap. That's the DnD model. No one is preventing OGL, or PDfs or hard covers. But if you want the npcs broken out, videos from the creators, maybe some 3d maps and celebrity voice overs, well you got to buy the Insider version.

 

[Aldarc]

That's an interesting software model, but there are some benefits to the user of a less locked-down delivery model.

The first is the widespread usability of the content. Biblical scholarship is a fairly large niche, and there are many companies that you can go to for tools. Older translations are in the public domain, newer translations can be obtained from multiple publishers who have licensed them. That means that you can be fairly certain that you can find a software package for the platform and needs you have.

D&D isn't nearly as big. I don't think WotC has the resources to produce a tool for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. That means that a lot of people will want to consume their media on their device of choice but will be unable to. PDFs or DRM-free ePubs can be used on anything, and WotC doesn't need to do any work to make that happen.

There are probably more D&D gamers than there are biblical scholars or ministers who do use these software programs. The software platform is always an issue, but there are usually work arounds to these sorts of things. Most Macs, for example, can run Windows in parallel. PDFs are definitely more flexible in that regard and that would be lost, but I think that a lot could be potentially gained by presenting such an integrated D&D software.

Even if the official tool is available on your platform, what if it doesn't work the way that you want it to? Me, I like to manage my campaign with DEVONthink. It lets me store all my PDFs in it and makes them searchable, uses AI to help suggest related items, and lets me store my notes in a wiki form. That works really well for me, and it's a tool that has been written over many years. Will WotC be able to match it?

It may not work perfectly "the way that you want it to," but no software is perfect. The key is to make it versatile and practical for the DM and player as a means to electronically purchase, organize, and design materials for playing a D&D campaign.

And will they make it work as well for 3rd party documents? Probably not: that's a lot more work.

I thought about this as well. They may not have it work for 3pp, but they always could. And there are a number of ways they could approach this that would be potentially beneficial to both parties.

The second reason I like more open formats is reusability. I have so many more ways to repurpose content in PDF form than if it were locked in an application. Just in the last campaign, I've:

• Pulled NPC images out of the adventure PDF and recomposed them on a handout so that the players could see who they're talking to
• Pulled the image of the map out so I could roughly trace it to create a treasure map
• Copied text from different parts of the adventure so I could create a cheat sheet to help run daily events
• Blown up an encounter map and removed numbers and such to create an ad-hoc battle map

None of these are pirating the work, they're all easily fair use, but they probably wouldn't be possible if the content were locked within a custom-built application. Even if WotC weren't trying to prevent me from doing such things, it's unlikely they'd spend the development time to enable them.

Stuff like this is more than possible in the Bible software I listed. And if this D&D program was created with the DM in mind, then this is more than possible for these functions to be integrated.

 

[delericho]

I don't know enough about the specifics to describe an idealised layout, but it does seem clear to me that D&D needs to both be playable without any electronic support and to recognise that many players have, and will want to use, iPads and/or smartphones at the table.

I suspect that the best way forward may well be to publish the first set of books at the same time as the material formally becomes available via DDI and the same books become available for sale in PDF/eBook format. That way, you get all three media covered - those who like physical books, those who want to go electronic but don't want to 'rent', and those who adopt DDI.

Going forward, new material should probably appear first on DDI for early adopters. This would then be a sort of informal playtest, during which any required errata/revisions are developed and applied. After a time, the new content should then be 'locked', allowing no further errata/revisions - and at that point the material should be collated into the annual (ish) printed hardcover (and also released as PDF/eBook).

But, basically, everything should be available electronically, ideally in both PDF/eBook and DDI forms. And there should also be a printed version of the game that is entirely compatible with the electronic version. (The 4e model of printing first and then revising heavily was a bit of a disaster, as it meant that the printed books quickly became worse than useless when playing with a DDI group. Far better to release to DDI first, work out the bugs, and then send to print.)

Of course, it probably won't be practical to produce everything in print; some things will be electronic-only. But if WotC are serious about their 'reunification' agenda, they need to very strongly resist the urge to discontinue print support - almost all of the rules material, at least, needs to make it to print in a timely manner.

(Incidentally, they should do some sort of 'bundle' deal - if you buy the hardcopy, and have DDI access, you get a free PDF. Or you can buy hard-copy and PDF together at a vastly reduced cost. Or something. I for one will always want physical copies of my books, and while electronic copies are great, I won't pay the same cover price again for the privilidge.)

 

[IronWolf]

I don't think WotC has the resources to produce a tool for Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. That means that a lot of people will want to consume their media on their device of choice but will be unable to. PDFs or DRM-free ePubs can be used on anything, and WotC doesn't need to do any work to make that happen.

Choice is a very important factor for any electronic initiative.

Most Macs, for example, can run Windows in parallel. PDFs are definitely more flexible in that regard and that would be lost, but I think that a lot could be potentially gained by presenting such an integrated
D&D software.

Eh, VMs and emulators on Macs are overrated and we'd rather not have to use them if at all possible. Luckily there are a lot of smart tool developers and companies that realize that and as of yet I don't have to deal with Windows at all on the Mac. (granted I am waiting on one more application to be available, but it looks like they are working on an iPad version that will more than meet my need).

I still haven't seen a compelling argument to give up the portability of my preferred means of electronic distribution and access to an integrated D&D software. Now there might be one out there or someone might come up with a tool that makes me change my mind, but I have not seen it suggested yet. I value the portability across platforms and tools more at the moment.